“Why shouldn’t I join your program”? Facilitators and barriers of older adults’ participation in the health promotion programs of an Age-friendly Healthcare Center. Results of a pilot study
4/2025
vol. 27
abstract:
Original paper
Athareh Najafi
1
,
Mina Hashemiparast
3
,
Mehdi Abbasian
4, 5
,
Behrouz Samei
5, 6
,
Elham Lotfalinezhad
7
,
HAIDAR NADRIAN
8
Athareh Najafi
1
,
Mina Hashemiparast
3
,
Mehdi Abbasian
4, 5
,
Behrouz Samei
5, 6
,
Elham Lotfalinezhad
7
,
HAIDAR NADRIAN
8
- Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Islamic Azad University-Sanandaj Branch, Sanandaj, Iran
- Department of Geriatric Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Department of Health Education & Promotion, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
- Research Center for Integrative Medicine in Aging, Aging Research Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Tabriz Health Services Management Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- School of Nursing, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, Canada
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Family Medicine & Primary Care Review 2025; 27(4)
Online publish date: 2025/12/22
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The participation of older adults in day-care centers is influenced by various factors, with these establishments determined to enhance the overall well-being of older adults through the provision of diverse services personalized to their needs and preferences.
Objectives
In this pilot study, we aimed to investigate the barriers and facilitators affecting the participation of older adults in an age-friendly healthcare center in Iran.
Material and methods
This pilot study used a conventional content analysis approach. 18 older adults and healthcare professionals were invited to participate in the study using purposeful sampling. Individual semi-structured interviews were performed to collect data, which was then managed with MAXQDA 10 software.
Results
The facilitators of older adults’ participation in the Age-Friendly Centers (AFCs) programs were context, input, and process associated factors. On the other hand, the barriers to their attendance were context- and input-associated factors.
Conclusions
Greater support and information from healthcare providers and such AFC systems seem to benefit older adults on how, where, and when they should involve themselves in age-friendly healthcare services. In the efforts of AFC systems to promote the participation level of older adults, there may be a great need to consider elder-centered program planning, within which context-, input-, and process-associated factors are planned with active participation of older adults.
keywords:
aged, health services for the aged, health promotion, community participation
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